Who am I?
by Lady Eivel
Summary: What if Susan had had a daughter? AU Edited for chapter length and sheer naivete.
1. Happy Birthday!

**Who Am I?**

Summary: Miriam Campbell never knew her parents- they vanished when she was tiny. Now she is 12 and a strange man with a blue box arrives- and he's looking for her.

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own Doctor Who. Never have, probably never will. Happy now? _cries_

A/N I re-read this and realised how ridiculous some parts were, so I decided to edit the whole thing. Enjoy!

0-0-0

Miriam Campbell had never really known her parents. When she was one- they had disappeared and they'd never come back. All she had of them was a diary. She tried reading it, but it seemed to be mostly made-up stories- after all, who could go back to the Aztecs and have friend mistaken for a Goddess? Or go to a primitive planet and give them fire? And what on earth was Gallifrey anyway? And where had the idea for these creatures called Daleks and the Time War come from? The entry with the Time War had been the last- there was no more writing after it.

She had decided that her mother, although a traveller, had also written stories in her spare time. It didn't worry her. After all, lots of people wrote stories. She herself had written a couple- though they weren't half as good as her mother's. She had written them as if she had actually been there when it was all happening.

0-0-0

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you…" Miriam opened her eyes to see the other inhabitants of the orphanage dormitory gathered round her bunk. All were smiling and a few held presents.

She sat bolt upright, grabbed the nearest present and started tearing off the paper. The other girls laughed, not unkindly, and handed her the rest. Miriam grinned as she ripped off the last piece of Bubblegum paper to reveal a history book.

"Thanks Grace!" Miriam had always, inexplicably, had a fascination with history. And a few other things too- like technology. She was fairly good at P.E too- she could run faster than most at school and still not get tired at the end. This had often confused the school nurse, but she let it be.

"Wonder if there'll be anything about Van Statten in there?" she mused hopefully. The way an entire alien museum had fallen at the hands of two aliens amazed her. She read about it at every possible opportunity. But it wasn't just the improbability of it. One of the aliens had been humanoid. Called the Doctor, he intrigued her. The descriptions of him that could be deciphered (Earth had changed alphabet to conform with universal standards about ten years ago) were fascinating.

0-0-0

The Doctor sat in the TARDIS control room, looking up at the console every now and again.

He didn't really know where he was going, and to be honest he didn't care. Since the Time War, he hadn't really cared about anything. Who could when they kept hearing the screams of their family and friends dying? Or the harsh, unforgiving cries of EXTERMINATE! Every Dalek blast had killed a Time Lord, Lady or Child. Not even the babies had been spared.

He sighed, guilt weighing him down once more as the painful fact once again resurfaced- he was no better. After all, it was he who had pressed the button as it were- it was him who had wiped out not only the Daleks but also the few Gallifreyan survivors as well. Including his family.

His granddaughter had been fighting beside him for a while. During a very rare lull, she had told him how life on Earth had been getting on. She and David had seemed to be doing very well- living quite happily and rebuilding Earth after the Dalek takeover. They had got a house and had settled down with a… daughter! And she had gone on to say how she had regretted leaving her behind in the orphanage but there had been no other choice.

If she hadn't been in the Time War- there was hope she was still alive. He leapt up and entered the right co-ordinates. Excitement coursed through him as he wondered how old she would be when the TARDIS landed. Perhaps still a baby. Perhaps not. Just have to wait and see.

With the biggest grin he had ever had since long before the Time War, the Doctor waited impatiently for landing.

0-0-0

Miriam sat bolt upright in bed, sweating like she was in a sauna. The dream that had plagued her sleep for weeks on end had once again interrupted her slumber. This time however, it had been different. She had heard the screams and the metallic yells as usual, but this time it was different. Because this time, the suffering of the people had ended. She shuddered at the memory- the planet had been destroyed.

As she snuggled down again, an odd feeling of excitement surged through her. She wondered where it had come from, as she was feeling anything but excited now. Due to the millions of thoughts spinning round her head, it took a while for the twelve year old to get to sleep.

0-0-0

Miriam was late for breakfast that morning, earning her a scolding from the Matron. She hung her head and waited for it to be over, tiredness and previous experience of such outbursts preventing her from doing much else. When the Matron had finished, Miriam walked over to the serving area and grabbed a few slices of burnt toast. She didn't eat it though.

She didn't pay much attention in lessons either. Almost all her teachers noticed. Some snapped with their voices, some with their fingers before her face and one teacher's temper snapped, landing Miriam in detention. And then she got in even more trouble for not turning up.

As if she cared. Behind her glazed eyes, thoughts raced around- almost like a mad crowd of people, each trying to get in the top spot. And each stubbornly refusing to be sorted.

Why on earth had she sensed that excitement just after that terrible vision? And just what had the vision been of? She shook her head, trying to clear it. Failing miserably, she sighed and resigned herself to puzzled attempts to make sense of everything that had happened that night.

0-0-0

Meanwhile, the Doctor watched the TARDIS console intently. A readout suddenly scrolled down the panel he had been looking at- telling him to initiate landing procedure. With a grin, he raced around the huge room to begin. "Great-granddaughter, here I come!".

After the TARDIS landed, he was about to race outside, but stopped and thought for a moment. "Calm down Doctor, she's _never in a million years_ going to believe that _you're_ her great- granddad." Scowling, he turned back to consider this latest problem. In his first or third incarnations, it might have worked. But now!

He looked himself over. To a human, him being a great-grandfather to anyone was laughable. He looked no older than forty, at a slight push. Although he knew better, his great-granddaughter probably wouldn't. He turned toward the console. "Any ideas?"

0-0-0

A weird grating, rasping noise jerked Miriam out of her daydream. She ran over to the window. The noise seemed to be coming from a nearby alleyway. She smiled. It wouldn't be too hard to get there.


	2. Meeting Up

The next day, Miriam ran round the corner. The Matron had fallen perfectly for the 'doing the weekly shopping' and the sweet smile and now she was free for two hours. Hurtling down the street, she skidded to a halt by the alleyway she had heard the noise from. Whatever had caused it was probably nothing, and no longer there, but it was worth a try. Looking down the alley, it was dark. Well, that's what you'd expect. But no-one would really expect to see… just what was it?

She took a few tentative steps forward. As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she could make out a shape. Tall, with a pointed roof. She blinked. It was bright blue. A light winked on above her head. She looked up. It read 'Police Public Call Box'. That rang a bell. But why.

She blinked again as she remembered a history lesson. The teacher had been talking about… telephones! Now she remembered.

"Police telephone box." She recited softly "Used to call the police for assistance when the caller, or a friend of the caller was in trouble. These were mainly used in the mid-twentieth century, but their numbers declined after a couple of decades." What she had just said puzzled her. If they had stopped being used around 1960, then why was one standing there in the year 2206?

She noticed a door in the blue wood. Slowly, she reached forward and opened it. Stepping inside, she let out a gasp.

0-0-0

The Doctor was wondering how to introduce himself to his great-great granddaughter when the view on the outer scanner changed. He shifted his position so he could see better.

At the end of the alleyway, there stood a girl. Intrigued, the Doctor watched intently as she walked toward the TARDIS. Now she stood facing the door. As he turned the microphone on, he also pressed the species scan button.

He stood silently as she recited a textbook description of a police box. The species scan bleeped. He looked over.

'SCAN COMPLETE.' Read the message on the screen 'BEING IS FEMALE. TWELVE YEARS OF AGE. DNA PART GALLIFREYAN, PART HUMAN.' A massive grin spread over the Doctor's face. Bingo! He had found her.

He heard the door open behind him. His great granddaughter let out a gasp as she entered. Despite himself, he rolled his eyes. Humans- why were they _always _like that?

He turned to face her. Her ice-blue eyes stared back. They studied each other for a moment. She had dark brown-black hair and a face that reminded him- painfully- of Susan, her mother. He gave himself a mental shake, and his grin returned.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor!"

0-0-0

Several minutes later, Miriam stood in a daze. After the usual introductions and obvious questions, the Doctor was rabbiting on about space-time and vortexes and relative space but she wasn't really listening. One of the words he'd begun with had triggered her memory.

What was the TARDIS? And where had she come across that word before?

The next moment was as though someone had switched on a light in her head. Of course! It had been in her mother's diary- she had supposedly traveled in it. And there had been mention of the Doctor too- but she usually called him…

"Erm, Doctor?" she asked, interrupting his above Einstein-level explanations "My Mum mentioned someone called the Doctor in her diary, but she described him different to you. And she called him grandfather too- how's that possible?"

He didn't look too taken aback by the question. "Knew we'd get onto that- well, here goes…" and launched into another explanation about something called regeneration. Miriam listened intently.

"So you're not human, then?" she asked when he had finished "You're an alien?"

"You figured it out quick"

"Wasn't too hard. When you talk about humans like that, it follows that you're either alien or you belong in an intensive brain care ward. The latter," she continued, as he looked outraged at the mere thought of his being brain damaged "would be rather unlikely, given the technology in here." She indicated the massive room they were standing in.

He smiled. "Want a tour? There's more rooms than this, you know." She accepted, and the two of them went off to explore the rest of the TARDIS.

As they went down the second corridor, a door opened to their left. The Doctor smiled knowingly. "I think the TARDIS wants you to go in there." He said, motioning toward the room beyond.

Miriam was a little taken aback "The TARDIS _wants _me to go in there? But the TARDIS isn't alive, is it?

He laughed "Yes, actually she is. And it's **she **not **it**, 'kay?"

"Alright" replied Miriam. She stepped through the door and let out a gasp of astonishment. There in front of her was her dream room- totally different to the drab Orphanage dormitory. Small lamps illuminated the room with a soft golden light. A four-poster bed stood opposite the door, white covers turned to soft oranges and yellows in the light. A wardrobe stood by another wall, mirrors on both doors. "Wow," was all Miriam could say.

"So you're coming with me then?" Miriam was broken out of her trance by the Doctor's voice.

"What? What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Well, usually the TARDIS only makes rooms for people if they're staying." He explained "This is actually a ship, you know."

"A spaceship?"

"Sort of. Except that it travels through space _and _time."

"Time?"

"Oh yeah. I say I can take you anywhere in the universe and people are like, oh that's nice, but as soon as I mention _time_…"

"Well, yeah they would, I mean," Replied Miriam "Humans have been traveling through space for a couple of hundred years now, but_ time_. That's something most people only ever _dream_ about!"

"Yeah, you have a point, but the couple of centuries bit depends on when you are." He grinned "Like to finish the tour?"

"Um, if this place is so big, do you have, well, like a library or something?"

"Course- want to take a look?"

"Ready when you are."

0-0-0

"I'm beginning to wish I hadn't shown you this bit." The Doctor grumbled after half an hour in the library "I'll never get you out!"

Miriam grinned. "Just one more chapter, please?" she wheedled.

He rolled his eyes. "I don't know- I was going to take you to another planet, but now…"

"Ok, ok, I'm coming!" she scrambled to her feet, putting '_A Complete History of Planet Earth_' back on the shelf and following the Doctor into the console room.


	3. First Adventure

A/N: Very sorry it took so long. My friend was helping me write and 'cos I din't get too many ideas, it took a while to make the ones my friend and me _did_ have into a story. The plant idea was mine- I was going to enter it in the Blue Peter contest, but had too much other stuff going on, and forgot. :( Anyway, here it is at last!

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Miriam stood to one side as the Doctor leaped round the mushroom-shaped console. A weird groaning sound came from the thing on top as a light flashed up and down.

"So, where d'ya wanna go?" before she could answer, the Doctor answered for her "Ah, this sounds nice. Haxvoliavilaum 7008! Bit cold but hey! Nice place!"

"Peaceful?" Miriam asked, coming round to look.

"Oh I dunno. Annoying habit- I tend to say planets are peaceful then land to find they're overrun by bad guys." Miriam grinned, as did the Doctor.

"No thanks seems, well…"

"Weird?"

"That's it! A bit like you!" Miriamclapped a hand to her mouthexpecting she was ganna get chased round the TARDIS by the Doctor, who would likely be maddened by that comment. He seemed to be lost in concentration, though and barely noticed. He came out of his reverie with a grin flashed in his great-granddaughter's direction.

"I got a great idea!" The Doctorsaid, still grinningand slammed down a button! "Lets go!"

"Go? Where, Doctor?"

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The TARDIS had landed in an airy, light room. Miriam knew as soon as she steeped out of The TARDIS, she was fairly sure they werestill on planet Earth (this place had a distinct 'old manor house'/museum feel) but as to what time and where she didn't have a clue! Well, apart from the fact that it was at least the mid-twentieth century, but there seemed to be a lot more to time than that.,

"Ah, here at last!" he said, "This was the place I first thought of being a professional Time Lord! You see I was only forty then so that was years ago. I was companion of Lord Grufferlopolen, he was a great guy but he'd regenerated twelve times, the maximum time a time Lord can regenerate or change their image, so he died and gave me the TARDIS in his will."

"Nice guy," said Miriam, she frowned, remembering "Hey, that was in one of Mum's books. Anyway, I thought you said this thing" she indicated the TARDIS "went anywhere in Time and Space!" the Doctor scowled at her

"We just went in Time- Space can wait! Lord Grufferlopolen is famous- that's why you mother would have had the story down" They stepped out and raced down the stairs into the main lobby. There was a desk at the far side of the room and behind it was a most peculiar man.

"Hello" said the man "I am Harry Bronegrunt. Receptionist here at Hellheeven Manor. And you are?"

"I'm the Doctor- I am here to sort out your…" he searched for an idea "plant problem?"

"Ah yes, come this way" he turned, leading them down several flights of stairs, along a corridor, across a small garden and into a greenhouse. As they walked through, a weird plant snapped out at Miriam. She jumped back. "Here we are! I'll leave you to it!" and they were left alone in the greenhouse of strange, and none too friendly, plants.

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"Doctor, what did you mean about sorting the plant problem?"

"This, most likely. Actually I don't know. Probably all this is the wrong doing of something, or some one, so we have to work out who, what and why." he said, sounding as though it was the most normal thing in the world. "So let's get started!" and they wondered through the greenhouse, Miriam went straight on and the Doctor went right. Miriam was walking slowly down the path and tripped over a hosepipe and bumped into a rose bush.

"Watch it!" screeched the rose bush. Miriam blinked. A rose bush was talking to her. It took a few moments for that to register.

"You're a rose bush" Miriam said a bit confused "And you are talking to me…"

"Yes, what did you expect? You lot talk to us, but you don't understand a word we say to you- you stupid humans!"

"OK…" Miriam backed away. When she thought she was at a safe distance, she ran off back to the Doctor.

Miriam caught up with the Doctor by the door into the manor. In his hand he had a test tube with a sample from a plant in it. Then Harry Bronegrunt came through the door.

"Doctor! Doctor" she yelled and bumped into Harry "There's a talking rose bush at the back! Come see! Come see!"

"Now, now" Harry laughed, "Don't be silly. There is nothing of that in here! Come on Doctor I'll show you too the laboratory!"

"Ok! Sure! Lead the way!"

"Would you like me to take your daughter upstairs with the other children?"

"I am _not_ his daughter!" Miriam growled.

"Just play along" the Doctor whispered to Miriam "They'll never believe what relation we really are." he turned to Harry "Lead the way!" they left the room, but something watched them as they went. Unnoticed and unseen, it snaked out a tendril to follow them.

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Miriam was lead up a small narrow staircase. Harry opened a door at the second landing. It lead into a huge classroom.

"Oh! Hello Mr. Bronegrunt! Whose that you got there?"

"There's a guy who can fix the Plant Problem and this is his daughter. What's your name again?"

"Err… Miriam"

"Ok class this is Miriam! Miriam you can sit on the desk at the back with Maria. She's the top in the class so she'll be a perfect role model for you!"

Miriam did as she was told. Maria- a less than pretty girl with glasses that made her look like an owl- smiled at her patronizingly. Miriam scowled back. She hated people like that- top of the class and always thinking they were above everyone else. Still wearing the frown, she turned to face the teacher, who started droning on about the anatomy of plants, something Miriam had been over every year since she was seven. Her now being twelve made the subject rather boring, particularly as she came from nearly two hundred years in their future, which meant that she had a more advanced knowledge of the subject than the teacher herself. She couldn't be bothered to correct her, so she prepared herself for a long, long afternoon.

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Meanwhile, the Doctor was carefully examining the sample he had collected, pausing every so often to wipe blood from a cut. The plant had not given the sample of itself willingly and plasters gave him an allergic reaction so he now had a few open cuts to contend with, as well as the fact that the sample he _had_ managed to collect was taking every opportunity to a) wriggle off somewhere or b) develop a sharp bit and scratch him. Not pleasant. Hey, he'd felt lots worse so he wasn't complaining. Frankly, he was surprised that the plant hadn't managed to strangle him, although it had been a decidedly close thing. And it had been nice of Harry to let him use one of the manor's labs. Apparently, when the plant problem started, the museum had developed a research facility to look into the matter and there were a few labs free.

After a bit of extensive poking, prodding and holding down, he resorted to using the sonic screwdriver. Flicking it on, he changed the setting to scan and moved it over the scrap of greenery. The familiar high-pitched whirr filled his ears as he studied the results of the scan.

A/N Sorry it took so long. The Lord Gruff-thingy idea was my friend's, sorry if it goes against anyone's theory of the Doc stealing a TARDIS.Thanks if anyone's still interested in the story- I appreciate that a lot. And I appreciate reviews even more!


	4. When plants attack

A/N Yes, I am a bit of an idiot. The Doctor stole a TARDIS. That is canon. slaps self Sorry about the appallingly long wait- I had very severe writer's block on this fic. Rose will be coming next chapter, if all goes to plan.

On with the story.

Chapter Eight

"So, who's going to get the equipment out of the store cupboard?" Maria- being the goody two-shoes she was- clipped Miriam's ear in her rush to get her hand up. Miriam boredly put her hand up as well, wishing that she, as a Time Child, she could speed up time and get to the end of this decidedly monotonous day. The teacher brightly volunteered another boy- Jason- to help, and the three headed for the stock cupboard, Maria leaving the slouching Miriam and Jason behind in her frantic rush to get to the cupboard. The other children rolled their eyes at each other.

Miriam was helping Maria get some stuff down from the shelves. As she turned to pass a few pieces of equipment to Jason, she noticed that one of the children had crept up to the cupboard door while the teacher's back was turned.

"Hey…" she called, but it was too late. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, the boy shut the door.

"Move!" yelled Maria kicking Miriam in the leg "You're squashing me!"

"Sorry" said Miriam "The teacher has to know we've gone,"

"She'll know I'm gone but won't notice that you are!" Miriam turned, annoyed by the remarks she was getting. She opened her mouth to say something, but Jason got there first.

"You are a spoilt little teacher's pet and you deserve to be kept in here." he snapped. Maria seemed to be about to make a retort, but Miriam's sensitive ears picked up something.

"Ssh! Listen!" she hissed, putting her ear to the door. She heard a knock on the main door to the classroom, and also heard the teacher going over to answer it.

"Hello?" then there was silence for a moment. Then a scream. By now, Jason and Maria had joined Miriam at the cupboard door.

"C'mon- we've gotta see what's going on out there!" Miriam said, backing away from the door. The others cottoned on, and stood beside her. "Now- when I say three. One, Two, Three!" She yelled, and the three of them ran towards the door, throwing their weight against it. It buckled, but still stood

Other screams joined the first one. Children's screams. The threesome's efforts to break out faded and they listened in silence. Something hit the door, and they were jerked out of their reverie. An almost inhuman hiss got Miriam, Jason and Maria backing up against the far wall of the cupboard, as the door rattled and shook. Eventually, whatever was on the other side seemed to give up. The terrified occupants of the cupboard also noticed that the screams had stopped.

"D'you think that was a joke?" Jason eventually whispered. Miriam shook her head.

"No- knowing the behaviour of normal students, if it was a joke, they'd be laughing." She replied. Stepping forward, she tested the door once more. It swung open, seemingly weakened by the attack from outside. Miriam looked around, and felt all the colour drain from her face. What had been a living, breathing class of children was now a mess of bodies, scattered all over the room. The tables had been overturned, some on top of the lifeless bodies. All the children had blue-tinged faces, a sure sign of strangulation.

"Oh my…" she heard Maria's horrified whisper beside her.

"What _happened_ here?" Jason asked, voice barely above a murmur.

"Dunno" Miriam's composure was starting to return. "We need to find the Doctor."

"The Doctor? Doctor who?" Maria asked.

"Just the Doctor. If anyone knows what's going on, it'll be him" she replied, silently praying that he had not been caught up in the attacks. This whole thing seemed like something from a seriously clichéd horror or sci-fi movie- attack of the mutant plants or something, only it was real. The evidence was right in front of her. She had always thought pinching yourself to check if it's all a dream was silly, but she found herself giving her own arm a very hard pinch, just in case.

It hurt. This was real.

Great.

0-0-0

The Doctor had not been caught up in the attacks. Yet. Apart from his own little battle with the sample he had, he was quietly oblivious to the chaos being wrecked by its fellows. If you could call them that. But his little bit of security wasn't going to last long.

E.g. It was just about to end. Now. Although the Doctor didn't know that.

"C'mon you stupid piece of tin! Analyse the chemicals… ow!" the last part was because he'd just been prodded by a _very_ sharp bit the plant had just grown. Then, without warning, the door burst open. A huge plant stood there, filling almost the entire doorway. It seemed to hiss, as roots and branches snaked towards the Doctor, who lifted his screwdriver. The hiss turned to an unearthly wail, and a branch cracked out like a whip, trying to get the screwdriver. The Doctor yanked it away, pointed it at the plant and pressed the button. The familiar whirr filled his ears, the plant gave a final shriek and crumpled to the floor. The Doctor stepped over and scanned it.

"Well, whatever's gone on here is the same thing that's happened to that bit over there… Now, if I can just get the chemicals analysed…" he muttered. "TARDIS is needed here, I think." He strode out of the room…

To be confronted by a hallway full of plants. He jumped back inside the lab, slamming the door behind him and using the screwdriver to effectively lock it. He noticed with dismay that it was running out of power. Just then, the door shook violently as the things outside attacked.

It was time to get out of there, the Doctor decided. He smashed a window using a chair that had been lying nearby. Glass showered over him, cutting gashes in his hands. He jumped through the hole he had made, his trousers and hands getting scratched even more by the broken glass around the edge.

0-0-0

Miriam signalled to Jason and Maria to stop. She peered round the corner. A few plants snaked along the hallway beyond, making it look old and disused. It would have been pretty, if it wasn't for the knowledge that the plants were deadly and out to kill them. Jason joined Miriam, looking over her shoulder.

"Think they can hear us?" he asked softly. Then, before Miriam could stop him, he yelled "Oi! Green… thingys!"

"Idiot! Shut up!" Miriam hissed, clapping her hand over the boy's mouth. It was too late- branches snaked towards them with a hiss. "Now look what you've done!"

"Sorry…"

"Forget that- run!" she yelled now, grabbing Maria's hand as the children pelted down the other way. Round a corner, down some stairs and they saw it. The door out of the building. "Nearly there!"

But as they neared it, another group of plants appeared, blocking the way. The children scrambled to turn around, only to see the plants from before coming up behind them…

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A/N Getting longer! Again, sorry about the ridiculous wait. I promise to get the next chapter up asap! Please review!


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